Propaganda has made a comeback in the United States in the advent of the Internet. Partially to blame is the internet itself, which provides the ability for illegitimate, uneducated wanna-be journalists to present information in an extremely biased nature, changing the facts slightly to make the outcome seem more insidious. We are living in a golden age of propaganda in the United States and it is unfortunately that a large quantity, in at least the 10’s of millions of people, have fallen prey to it. Trump has risen to power through it, with pushing fake facts that Obama was born in Kenya, which gained him fame and notoriety in the political arena. A case can be made that this notoriety and popularity led him to eventually feel capable of legitimately running for President, due to a large swathe of support on his Twitter account that numbered in the millions.

Today we see a combined effort of pushing conspiracy theories, propaganda and gaslighting by the Trump administration on an unprecedented level. In the book “Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes:” Jacques Ellul wrote the following:

“Direct propaganda, aimed at modifying opinions and attitudes, must be preceded by propaganda that is sociological in character, slow, general, seeking to create a climate, an atmosphere of favorable preliminary attitudes. No direct propaganda can be effective without pre-propaganda, which, without direct or noticeable aggression, is limited to creating ambiguities, reducing prejudices, and spreading images, apparently without purpose.”

Trump and the alt right, tea party and like minded folks have set up the pre-propaganda over the course of years, initially getting support with pushing a conspiracy theory about Barack Obama, this allowed him to push more conspiracy theories as a way to relieve pressure was on him in the White House. Often what he will present as defense of a situation he has put himself in, is a defense already presented by fervent supporters on Twitter. While talks of illegitimacy filled the air in his first week in office, Trump wishing to propose that he has some sort of mandate even though he lost the popular vote, pushed against it by bizarrely claiming millions of illegals voted. That was not his idea, of course. But this would be a good reason why he lost the popular vote, according to his insecure delusional mind. Of course, this is sad and pathetic to any reasonable human being, but the propaganda was already set up for him. Weird right wing media sites are already aplenty and have been hounding for years how illegals are voting, despite millions of dollars of studies proving any such theory false. Trump proceeded, without evidence, to make the claim due to his insecurities. He was ridiculed, rightly so, and of course also believed wholly, by what is now recognized as his cult-like base, whom he already reckoned would not leave him even if he murdered someone in cold blood. They too, have been exposed to pre-propaganda to allow them to follow along in a conspiracy theory, despite all reasonable facts to the contrary.

There has been for a long time a distrust in the media in right wing circles, due to not having their side viewed in a favorable light in their perception, which seems to be a product of the propaganda they have been fed through a decade of internet, social media sharing and drop out journalists with no standards of actually reporting news, but gaining attention by making outrageous claims that garner “clicks” and as such, ad revenue. These types of websites of course, led Trump to believe Obama was born in Kenya, or that millions of illegals voted against him, or that Obama tapped Trump tower when pressure on him was coming down from the Michael Flynn fall out.

The conspiracy theories were propped up by fake news and terrible journalists who made up lies, spun stories and weaved tangled webs that one could only believed if they made up more conspiracy theories. Now I am not a Hillary supporter, a very unlikable candidate, but there was plenty of propaganda and lies spread to help Trump win the election. Hillary Clinton was “bribed” by Russia, by whomever, various claims of some possibly true, some probably true, and many nowhere near true stories have been made up. The Trump cult has believed them all and push them all at a dizzying rate, millions of shares and millions of voters illusioned by propaganda and half truths, which caused intense polarization and distancing from reality. This created hate and distrust for every institution in power, because they couldn’t understand why she was not in jail. More conspiracy theories were formed to justify their increasingly delirious perception, deep state was at play, yet somehow Hillary was protected. Of course, Trump ran on this madness as well, with “lock her up” being a key theme. Considering Trump isn’t the law as President, it was bluster and fecal matter that was being shot out, and “lock her up” quickly died on his agenda, as he had more important things to deal with, such as defending himself from the onslaught of news about Russia involvement, which he did not like.

The propaganda and conspiracy theories have most recently, taken a turn for the worse. No longer are conspiracy theories promoted as truth from Trump and his fervent supporters, but now they are being directly gaslighted by Trump, themselves and the propaganda machine. The entire story of Russia and their favor towards Trump was denied from the beginning, yet we see that the Trump team has known of their involvement from the beginning, as it was Trump Jr. who was first proposed to receive assistance from a “Russian government lawyer” to provide damaging information on Hillary, as part of the support of “the Russian Government”, per the emails he received and released publicly. This led us to the important revelation, that not only was this story not able to be considered a hoax or a witch hunt by all reasonable means as Trump pounded incessantly , which it was not, it was from the beginning an investigation from the beginning to see if there was a deeper connection and or to prevent the situation from occurring again, but it also showed that the Trump team had been lying about thinking Russia was not involved. They knew better and they knew before anyone outside of the government, it seems. The lies that followed a year were finally blown apart by this revelation that Trump Jr and the top echelon of Trumps staff knew all along, and really, there is no reason to think Trump didn’t know either. He is a con, after all and his son and son in law, Kushner, would have done a great disservice by not telling him, in confidence.

Yet after we know they know, Trump continues to call it a hoax. He called the Russian government operative just merely a lawyer, when the emails themselves explained the connection to the Russian government, their favor towards Trump. This is gaslighting, it is mental abuse, and his supporters have taken the bait once again it seems. Denying reality, they pretend the story is a hoax, even though the investigation is not just about Trump, there is something greater at stake, protecting the elections from further intervention. The followers fall prey to myopic tunnel vision of protecting their holy leader of the cult, forsaking patriotism and duty to protect the nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Trump’s conning ways, such as creating a fake university that scammed millions of dollars from people and spouting ignorant conspiracy theories coming off the top of his head, not thinking pretending to be smart, is exactly what shows that the US has become for a large minority. A nation who supports con artists, the voters showed support of an idiot who pretended he knew more than generals about ISIS, while proving he knew nothing. Trump showed America that an undisciplined conniving buffoon can make it to the top, lie to us all, gaslight us all, and still, people will fall victim to his abuse and lay down and think he is right. It is a shame on this nation and the people who support him thoroughly, they are not only enemies of this nation, they are enemies of themselves, of the world, of truth, justice, intelligence and all that one should hold dear.

WW_III_ANGRY wrote:Propaganda has made a comeback in the United States in the advent of the Internet. Partially to blame is the internet itself, which provides the ability for illegitimate, uneducated wanna-be journalists to present information in an extremely biased nature, changing the facts slightly to make the outcome seem more insidious. We are living in a golden age of propaganda in the United States and it is unfortunately that a large quantity, in at least the 10’s of millions of people, have fallen prey to it.

We can assume that you are speaking of your OP.

WW_III_ANGRY wrote:Jacques Ellul wrote the following:

“Direct propaganda, aimed at modifying opinions and attitudes, must be preceded by propaganda that is sociological in character, slow, general, seeking to create a climate, an atmosphere of favorable preliminary attitudes. No direct propaganda can be effective without pre-propaganda, which, without direct or noticeable aggression, is limited to creating ambiguities, reducing prejudices, and spreading images, apparently without purpose.”

He was right about that.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Clarify, Verify, Instill, and Reinforce the Perception of Hopes and Threats unto Anentropic HarmonyElseFrom THIS age of sleep, Homo-sapien shall never awake.

The Wise gather together to help one another in EVERY aspect of living.

You are always more insecure than you think, just not by what you think.The only absolute certainty is formed by the absolute lack of alternatives.It is not merely "do what works", but "to accomplish what purpose in what time frame at what cost".As long as the authority is secretive, the population will be subjugated.

Amid the lack of certainty, put faith in the wiser to believe.Devil's Motto: Make it look good, safe, innocent, and wise.. until it is too late to choose otherwise.

The Real God ≡ The reason/cause for the Universe being what it is = "The situation cannot be what it is and also remain as it is"..

WW_III_ANGRY wrote:Propaganda has made a comeback in the United States in the advent of the Internet. Partially to blame is the internet itself, which provides the ability for illegitimate, uneducated wanna-be journalists to present information in an extremely biased nature, changing the facts slightly to make the outcome seem more insidious. We are living in a golden age of propaganda in the United States and it is unfortunately that a large quantity, in at least the 10’s of millions of people, have fallen prey to it. Trump has risen to power through it, with pushing fake facts that Obama was born in Kenya, which gained him fame and notoriety in the political arena. A case can be made that this notoriety and popularity led him to eventually feel capable of legitimately running for President, due to a large swathe of support on his Twitter account that numbered in the millions.

Today we see a combined effort of pushing conspiracy theories, propaganda and gaslighting by the Trump administration on an unprecedented level. In the book “Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes:” Jacques Ellul wrote the following:

“Direct propaganda, aimed at modifying opinions and attitudes, must be preceded by propaganda that is sociological in character, slow, general, seeking to create a climate, an atmosphere of favorable preliminary attitudes. No direct propaganda can be effective without pre-propaganda, which, without direct or noticeable aggression, is limited to creating ambiguities, reducing prejudices, and spreading images, apparently without purpose.”

Trump and the alt right, tea party and like minded folks have set up the pre-propaganda over the course of years, initially getting support with pushing a conspiracy theory about Barack Obama, this allowed him to push more conspiracy theories as a way to relieve pressure was on him in the White House. Often what he will present as defense of a situation he has put himself in, is a defense already presented by fervent supporters on Twitter. While talks of illegitimacy filled the air in his first week in office, Trump wishing to propose that he has some sort of mandate even though he lost the popular vote, pushed against it by bizarrely claiming millions of illegals voted. That was not his idea, of course. But this would be a good reason why he lost the popular vote, according to his insecure delusional mind. Of course, this is sad and pathetic to any reasonable human being, but the propaganda was already set up for him. Weird right wing media sites are already aplenty and have been hounding for years how illegals are voting, despite millions of dollars of studies proving any such theory false. Trump proceeded, without evidence, to make the claim due to his insecurities. He was ridiculed, rightly so, and of course also believed wholly, by what is now recognized as his cult-like base, whom he already reckoned would not leave him even if he murdered someone in cold blood. They too, have been exposed to pre-propaganda to allow them to follow along in a conspiracy theory, despite all reasonable facts to the contrary.

There has been for a long time a distrust in the media in right wing circles, due to not having their side viewed in a favorable light in their perception, which seems to be a product of the propaganda they have been fed through a decade of internet, social media sharing and drop out journalists with no standards of actually reporting news, but gaining attention by making outrageous claims that garner “clicks” and as such, ad revenue. These types of websites of course, led Trump to believe Obama was born in Kenya, or that millions of illegals voted against him, or that Obama tapped Trump tower when pressure on him was coming down from the Michael Flynn fall out.

The conspiracy theories were propped up by fake news and terrible journalists who made up lies, spun stories and weaved tangled webs that one could only believed if they made up more conspiracy theories. Now I am not a Hillary supporter, a very unlikable candidate, but there was plenty of propaganda and lies spread to help Trump win the election. Hillary Clinton was “bribed” by Russia, by whomever, various claims of some possibly true, some probably true, and many nowhere near true stories have been made up. The Trump cult has believed them all and push them all at a dizzying rate, millions of shares and millions of voters illusioned by propaganda and half truths, which caused intense polarization and distancing from reality. This created hate and distrust for every institution in power, because they couldn’t understand why she was not in jail. More conspiracy theories were formed to justify their increasingly delirious perception, deep state was at play, yet somehow Hillary was protected. Of course, Trump ran on this madness as well, with “lock her up” being a key theme. Considering Trump isn’t the law as President, it was bluster and fecal matter that was being shot out, and “lock her up” quickly died on his agenda, as he had more important things to deal with, such as defending himself from the onslaught of news about Russia involvement, which he did not like.

The propaganda and conspiracy theories have most recently, taken a turn for the worse. No longer are conspiracy theories promoted as truth from Trump and his fervent supporters, but now they are being directly gaslighted by Trump, themselves and the propaganda machine. The entire story of Russia and their favor towards Trump was denied from the beginning, yet we see that the Trump team has known of their involvement from the beginning, as it was Trump Jr. who was first proposed to receive assistance from a “Russian government lawyer” to provide damaging information on Hillary, as part of the support of “the Russian Government”, per the emails he received and released publicly. This led us to the important revelation, that not only was this story not able to be considered a hoax or a witch hunt by all reasonable means as Trump pounded incessantly , which it was not, it was from the beginning an investigation from the beginning to see if there was a deeper connection and or to prevent the situation from occurring again, but it also showed that the Trump team had been lying about thinking Russia was not involved. They knew better and they knew before anyone outside of the government, it seems. The lies that followed a year were finally blown apart by this revelation that Trump Jr and the top echelon of Trumps staff knew all along, and really, there is no reason to think Trump didn’t know either. He is a con, after all and his son and son in law, Kushner, would have done a great disservice by not telling him, in confidence.

Yet after we know they know, Trump continues to call it a hoax. He called the Russian government operative just merely a lawyer, when the emails themselves explained the connection to the Russian government, their favor towards Trump. This is gaslighting, it is mental abuse, and his supporters have taken the bait once again it seems. Denying reality, they pretend the story is a hoax, even though the investigation is not just about Trump, there is something greater at stake, protecting the elections from further intervention. The followers fall prey to myopic tunnel vision of protecting their holy leader of the cult, forsaking patriotism and duty to protect the nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Trump’s conning ways, such as creating a fake university that scammed millions of dollars from people and spouting ignorant conspiracy theories coming off the top of his head, not thinking pretending to be smart, is exactly what shows that the US has become for a large minority. A nation who supports con artists, the voters showed support of an idiot who pretended he knew more than generals about ISIS, while proving he knew nothing. Trump showed America that an undisciplined conniving buffoon can make it to the top, lie to us all, gaslight us all, and still, people will fall victim to his abuse and lay down and think he is right. It is a shame on this nation and the people who support him thoroughly, they are not only enemies of this nation, they are enemies of themselves, of the world, of truth, justice, intelligence and all that one should hold dear.

Stupidity of this guy is still unsurpassed.

The time when Hollywood is breaking down he calls the golden age of propaganda.

I'd say it's more hysteria than propaganda that's developing in the West.And any propaganda that's going around has adjusted to feed on it.

Definitely the internet and access to it has facilitated this emergence.

Another downside to the internet is that everyone has so much access to snippets of knowledge and opinion that they easily gain the impression that they have become experts after being won over by a few shallowly persuasive arguments by a niche that the layman often hasn't looked into much or at all - arguments that often come from a place of hysteria posing as enlightened wisdom rather than objectivity and widely explored empirical evidence.

Even worse, the allure of seeing oneself as one of very few pioneers of all these "new groundbreaking wisdom"s that are now being sold to non-intellectuals, has trumped the scientific method: a discipline now so misunderstood and blighted by those who now think they are just as much a scientist as anyone who actually is one - to the point where actual science is widely perceived as being just an opinion ("just a theory") that is just as open to error and corruption as all the hacks who criticise science in such a way - and who sometimes even make a career out of brazenly spreading their decadent ideology. "The people" would rather be excited than study, and all of this is largely why we see so much polarisation, why such a thing as "fake news" has even become "a thing", and why it's now even possible to become president of the United States by taking advantage of all the above without even needing to maintain any consistency and impartiality beyond what sticks and compels at the time - and to ride that popularity train past the point where the vast majority won't even bother to fact check your words and what if anything they were based upon because minds were already made up before anything was said in the first place.

I'm not saying any of the alternatives would have been different - politics has come out of the closet and is changing into a reality TV show, if it wasn't one already, but it doesn't even care if it's obvious now. Complacency is so high now, maybe fickle fashionable policy and a figurehead who at least acts like he's just like a regular guy who lived the American Dream is enough for now to keep up the cover for the same old status quo of the master-slave relationship that was never really even seriously challenged or even approached. It's enough to put someone off democracy altogether, as it has for so many people...

Silhouette wrote:I'd say it's more hysteria than propaganda that's developing in the West.And any propaganda that's going around has adjusted to feed on it.

An astute observance

Silhouette wrote:Definitely the internet and access to it has facilitated this emergence.

Another downside to the internet is that everyone has so much access to snippets of knowledge and opinion that they easily gain the impression that they have become experts after being won over by a few shallowly persuasive arguments by a niche that the layman often hasn't looked into much or at all - arguments that often come from a place of hysteria posing as enlightened wisdom rather than objectivity and widely explored empirical evidence.

Even worse, the allure of seeing oneself as one of very few pioneers of all these "new groundbreaking wisdom"s that are now being sold to non-intellectuals, has trumped the scientific method: a discipline now so misunderstood and blighted by those who now think they are just as much a scientist as anyone who actually is one - to the point where actual science is widely perceived as being just an opinion ("just a theory") that is just as open to error and corruption as all the hacks who criticise science in such a way - and who sometimes even make a career out of brazenly spreading their decadent ideology. "The people" would rather be excited than study, and all of this is largely why we see so much polarisation, why such a thing as "fake news" has even become "a thing", and why it's now even possible to become president of the United States by taking advantage of all the above without even needing to maintain any consistency and impartiality beyond what sticks and compels at the time - and to ride that popularity train past the point where the vast majority won't even bother to fact check your words and what if anything they were based upon because minds were already made up before anything was said in the first place.

I'm not saying any of the alternatives would have been different - politics has come out of the closet and is changing into a reality TV show, if it wasn't one already, but it doesn't even care if it's obvious now. Complacency is so high now, maybe fickle fashionable policy and a figurehead who at least acts like he's just like a regular guy who lived the American Dream is enough for now to keep up the cover for the same old status quo of the master-slave relationship that was never really even seriously challenged or even approached. It's enough to put someone off democracy altogether, as it has for so many people...

unknowing wrote:Not just propaganda, an increasing amount of psychic warfare, as well.

To watch the news, feel informed, is not the same actually having all the information.

Withholding info is just as bad as lying. Omitting info can frame perceptions in both subtle and dangerous ways.

Hordes of angry white Trump supporters who know the difference between reality and fiction yet troll and sociopathically push their viewpoint and falsehoods through known strawmen nonetheless? Psychic warfare? Perhaps it works on the less intelligent, but I don't see how it doesn't do anything but put them into a corner of degeneracy in which they will never champion out of. I compare them to all evils who fight - Kamikazees, Nazis, suicide bombers, there is a certain testament to their actions and their fight and their inevitable failure.

Unlike what the neo liberal poster here suggests propaganda isn't limited to the republican establishment as it is well documented within the democratic party as well.

The partisan debate politically of which is the better party in the United States is a farce as both are owned by monied interests in constant support of the military industrial complex.

Within the United States voting is a worthless practice ( all controlled and rigged) as the financial oligarchy of international imperialism controls both parties. Donald Trump much like Barack Obama is controlled opposition (Like George Bush prior to Obama was too.) and the majority of idiots within our nation slowly dying of political atrophy can't seem to understand this yet which is why every decade this nation gets worse domestically. Freedom, democracy, and independence within the United States is illusion as we're a nation controlled by destructive international globalists.

The only solution to this dilemma is the complete existential collapse of the United States much like the Russian Soviet Union to which we're well on the path collectively of achieving in the near future.

"The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone."

"I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death."

-Thomas Hobbes-

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." - Napoleon Bonaparte

“To judge from the notions expounded by theologians, one must conclude that God created most men simply with a view to crowding hell.”― Marquis de Sade

“Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.”― Robert A. Heinlein

"Republicans are red and democrats are blue, neither political party gives a flying fuck about you." - Unknown Origin

“In the architecture of their life some may display Potemkin happiness in view of hiding the dark features of their fair weather relationship, preferring to set up a window dressing of fake satisfaction rather than being rejected as emotional outcasts." Erik Pevernagie

Zero_Sum wrote:Unlike what the neo liberal poster here suggests propaganda isn't limited to the republican establishment as it is well documented within the democratic party as well.

The partisan debate politically of which is the better party in the United States is a farce as both are owned by monied interests in constant support of the military industrial complex.

Within the United States voting is a worthless practice ( all controlled and rigged) as the financial oligarchy of international imperialism controls both parties. Donald Trump much like Barack Obama is controlled opposition (Like George Bush prior to Obama was too.) and the majority of idiots within our nation slowly dying of political atrophy can't seem to understand this yet which is why every decade this nation gets worse domestically. Freedom, democracy, and independence within the United States is illusion as we're a nation controlled by destructive international globalists.

The only solution to this dilemma is the complete existential collapse of the United States much like the Russian Soviet Union to which we're well on the path collectively of achieving in the near future.

Of course there is propaganda in the democratic party but mostly in obscure weird left wing no credibility bizarre websites that nobody ever heard of.

The propaganda among the Trump supporter and the fringe has become mainstream, as Trump ran on a theme of propaganda and lies that were infected in the average Republican voters mind, that Hillary sold Uranium to Russia, that there was some child pedo-ring. Trump continued to use baseless conspiracy theories to run off of to satisfy his own deluded self and ego once the administration took office and was frought with turmoil. It continues today. The amount of propaganda, conspiracy theories, lies and falsehoods purveyed by the highest echelon on the right is staggering

Zero_Sum wrote:Unlike what the neo liberal poster here suggests propaganda isn't limited to the republican establishment as it is well documented within the democratic party as well.

The partisan debate politically of which is the better party in the United States is a farce as both are owned by monied interests in constant support of the military industrial complex.

Within the United States voting is a worthless practice ( all controlled and rigged) as the financial oligarchy of international imperialism controls both parties. Donald Trump much like Barack Obama is controlled opposition (Like George Bush prior to Obama was too.) and the majority of idiots within our nation slowly dying of political atrophy can't seem to understand this yet which is why every decade this nation gets worse domestically. Freedom, democracy, and independence within the United States is illusion as we're a nation controlled by destructive international globalists.

The only solution to this dilemma is the complete existential collapse of the United States much like the Russian Soviet Union to which we're well on the path collectively of achieving in the near future.

I pretty much agree.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."